Quick Answer
The answer is least privilege, verify explicitly, and assume breach. These three core principles of Zero Trust identity form the foundation of a secure identity strategy in Microsoft Entra ID, ensuring that no user or device is trusted by default, every access request is fully authenticated and authorized, and the system is designed to limit damage if a compromise occurs. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your understanding of how Zero Trust identity principles map to Entra ID capabilities like Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management, and continuous access evaluation. A common trap is confusing “assume breach” with a reactive mindset—it is actually a proactive design principle that drives segmentation and monitoring. Remember the mnemonic “LVA” for Least privilege, Verify explicitly, and Assume breach to quickly recall the triad when you see Zero Trust identity scenarios on the exam.
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your organization uses Microsoft Entra ID and needs to implement a Zero Trust identity strategy. Which THREE principles should you apply?
Use least privilege access
Least privilege limits access to only what is needed.
Verify explicitly
Zero Trust requires verifying every access request.
Trust implicitly
Why wrong: Zero Trust assumes no implicit trust.
Use a single authentication method
Why wrong: Zero Trust encourages multiple layers of authentication (e.g., MFA).
Assume breach
Assume breach design limits blast radius and verifies all transactions.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use least privilege access
Option A is correct because least privilege access is a core Zero Trust principle that ensures users, devices, and services are granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. In Microsoft Entra ID, this is implemented through features like Privileged Identity Management (PIM), Conditional Access policies, and role-based access control (RBAC) to reduce the attack surface and limit lateral movement.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Use least privilege access
Why this is correct
Least privilege limits access to only what is needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Verify explicitly
Why this is correct
Zero Trust requires verifying every access request.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Trust implicitly
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust assumes no implicit trust.
Use a single authentication method
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust encourages multiple layers of authentication (e.g., MFA).
Assume breach
Why this is correct
Assume breach design limits blast radius and verifies all transactions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Trust implicitly' with the legacy perimeter-based security model and select it as a valid principle, or mistakenly think a single authentication method simplifies management, but Zero Trust explicitly rejects both for continuous verification and defense-in-depth.
Detailed technical explanation
Zero Trust identity principles are derived from the NIST SP 800-207 framework, which mandates continuous validation of authentication and authorization for every access request. In Microsoft Entra ID, 'Assume breach' drives practices like using Conditional Access session controls to enforce token protection and session revocation, while 'Verify explicitly' requires real-time checks of user identity, device health, and location via signals like device compliance and risk scores from Microsoft Defender for Identity.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — This question tests Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use least privilege access — Option A is correct because least privilege access is a core Zero Trust principle that ensures users, devices, and services are granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. In Microsoft Entra ID, this is implemented through features like Privileged Identity Management (PIM), Conditional Access policies, and role-based access control (RBAC) to reduce the attack surface and limit lateral movement.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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